Laugh a little

 STRESS BUSTERS

October 8: Laugh a Little Laughing is both a physical and mental stress reliever. A good laugh can soothe tension, aid in relaxation, and release feel-good hormones to your brain. Laughter has also been shown to strengthen a person’s immune system and help relieve pain by encouraging the body to release its own natural painkillers. Best of all, out of everything you can do for stress managment, laughter takes the least amount of effort and planning. Don't let a day go by without a moment of laughter! Bring More Laughter to Your Life Smile! Smiling is the beginning of laughter, and like laughter, it’s contagious. Smiling at others is more challenging with a face mask on, but it's a great opportunity to practice your best smize*. Add humor to conversations. Ask friends, family members, and co-workers, “What is the funniest thing that happened to you today?” Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take yourself less seriously is to talk about the times when you took yourself too seriously. Channel your inner child. Notice how children play and try to emulate them. They are the experts on being silly, taking life lightly, and laughing at ordinary things. *Smile with your eyes! Laughter is the Best Medicine / Humor at Work / Stress Relief from Laughter

Eat Calming Foods

 STRESS BUSTERS

October 7: Eat Calming Foods During times of stress it's common to eat comfort foods that temporarily soothe and distract us. Salty, greasy, sugary things that taste good but don't offer a lot of nutritional benefit. It's normal to crave these foods, but when it comes to nutrition and stress, one of the best things you can do for your body and mind is to reach for whole foods like fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains. Treats have their place every now and then, but try adding nutrient-rich foods to your plate more often. Notice if you feel a difference in your mood. Pause and reconsider your food choices during high-stress times.

Reach for Nutrient-Rich Foods Fresh fruits, like oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, berries, and even bell peppers* are all high in vitamin C, which can help lower the levels the stress hormone cortisol and blood pressure during high-stress situations. Nuts and seeds, like almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and pumpkin seeds, pack a nutritional punch! They are a great source of magnesium, which has been found to improve sleep quality. Fatty fish, like wild salmon, tuna, and rainbow trout, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which promote overall brain health and may help manage depression and anxiety. *Yes, peppers are botanically a fruit!

Vitamin C: Stress Buster / Nutrition and Stress

Make a Stress Busting List

 If knowledge is power, and sharing is caring, then this I must do.

Working for state department of health and welfare has its perks. One of which is the benefit of having access to and being the recipient of timely and topical information about our health. October is Stress Management month, and with all the information coming at us from every possible direction...not to mention the current state of the world...some relevant and valuable information recently came my way.

It would be foolish not to share.